Call to worship
Jesus called the disciples and gave them a job,gave them authority to carry it out,
took them out of their comfort zone.
Lord God, we are here today as a fellowship,
a worshipping, serving community.
We are not on our own, your Holy Spirit is with us. As we gather here, make us ready to follow you, stepping out in faith, going wherever you lead us.
Amen.
StF 156 From the breaking of the dawn
From the breaking of the dawn,
to the setting of the sun
I will stand on every promise of your word.
Words of power, strong to save,
that will never pass away;
I will stand on every promise of your word.
For your covenant is sure,
and on this I am secure:
I can stand on every promise from your word.
When I stumble and I sin,
condemnation pressing in,
I will stand on every promise of your word.
You are faithful to forgive,
that in freedom I might live,
so I stand on every promise of your word.
Guilt to innocence restored;
you remember sins no more;
so I’ll stand on every promise of your word.
When I’m faced with anguished choice
I will listen for your voice,
and I’ll stand on every promise of your word.
Through this dark and troubled land,
you will guide me with your hand
as I stand on every promise of your word.
And you’ve promised to complete
every work begun in me,
so I’ll stand on every promise of your word.
Hope that lifts me from despair,
love that casts out every fear
as I stand on every promise of your word.
Not forsaken, not alone,
for the Comforter has come,
and I stand on every promise of your word.
Grace sufficient, grace for me,
grace for all who will believe.
We will stand on every promise of your word.
Prayer of confession:
Lord, sometimes we cling tightly to familiar things,
too frightened to listen to your call to move forward, to trust that you will give us the strength we need.
Forgive us and help us to trust you more.
The God who encourages us to step out in faith
longs for us to take the risk of trusting him with our lives. So let us go forth knowing we are cleansed from all our sin, ready to start anew in his marvellous life.
Amen.
Bible Readings
Matthew 9:35-10:8
The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Prayers of thanksgiving
Lord, as we read the names of your disciples, chosen by you, we thank you because suddenly they become more real to us, real people who stepped out of their comfort zone for you, real examples for us.
(spend a quiet moment focusing on your own name,
thanking God for his plans for you)
Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Living God,
we pray for those for whom sharing their stories and faith is costly and dangerous,
places where Christians are in the minority and persecuted. Places where the Gospel has been distorted and manipulated, places where it has been sidelined. We pray for our churches in all their diversity and in all their challenges, and for ourselves as we live out our faith and answer Gods call on our lives. God of truth, Christ of Compassion, Holy Spirit of healing, strengthen and inspire all those we have prayed for; and empower them and us to share your story and ours, simply, passionately and honestly.
Amen.
We pray for all those sucked into a culture of knives, fear and crime. We pray for those whose stories of transformation have the power to challenge, change and transform the lives of others, especially ex-prisoners, ex-gang members, ex-drug dealers and recovering addicts. God of truth, Christ of Compassion, Holy Spirit of healing,
strengthen and inspire all those we have prayed for; and empower them and us to share your story and ours, simply, passionately and honestly. Amen.
We pray for places that have been in the news this week. We pray for people who have had their stories shared in the media, for those who have witnessed what no one should see and experienced what no one should go through. God of truth, Christ of Compassion, Holy Spirit of healing, strengthen and inspire all those we have prayed for; and empower them and us to share your story and ours, simply, effectively and honestly. Amen.
And we pray for those whose stories have been cut short by illness and tragedy, especially those we know and those who suffered alone.
We pray for those who continue to share their stories even as life gets more difficult, for those whose faith shines brightly even in the darkest of times, for those whose legacy is transformative. God of truth,
Christ of Compassion, Holy Spirit of healing,
strengthen and inspire all those we have prayed for; and empower them and us to share your story and ours, simply, effectively and honestly. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
Time to reflect:
What use is our compassion, if it doesn’t move us to action? Perhaps that is the question today’s Gospel reading begins to explore. Jesus looks out at the crowds and sees something deeper than noise, need, or inconvenience. He sees people who are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew tells us that Jesus has compassion for them. Compassion is not pity from a distance; compassion is something Jesus feels deeply in his body. It moves him and it changes what he does next. He turns to his disciples and says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” Then he sends them out. This is important. Jesus doesn’t simply ask the disciples to admire his compassion. He invites them to share in it.
Discipleship is not only about learning from Jesus. It is about being sent by Jesus, responding to the Christ’s compassion for the world around us, and acting as his hands and feet in seeking to heal the wounds, stand in solidarity with the oppressed, respond to the needs of our communities and our world. In Matthew 10, Jesus names the twelve disciples and gives them authority to heal, restore, cleanse, and proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven has come near. They are ordinary people: fishermen, a tax collector, people with mixed motives and unfinished faith. Yet Jesus trusts them with his work, which should both encourage and challenge us. We do not need to be perfect before we are useful to God. We do not need to have all the answers before we can offer compassion. But we do need to be willing: to notice pain, to respond with love, and to allow our faith to become practical.
The mission Jesus gives is about healing, liberation, restoration, the harmony inherent in the Biblical concept of ‘shalom’. The kingdom comes near when people are made whole, when burdens are lifted, when those who feel abandoned discover, they are seen and loved. And Jesus says, “You received without payment; give without payment.” Grace is not a possession to guard. It is a gift to share.
Today, you might like to reflect on one or more of these questions: Who around you seems harassed, helpless, overlooked, or weary? — Where might compassion be asking you not just to feel, but to act? What gifts have you freely received that you are now being called to freely give?
Two thousand years after the gospel stories, the world is still full of people longing for healing, dignity, and hope. And Christ still sends ordinary disciples like you and me into ordinary places to embody extraordinary grace.
May you see with the compassion of Christ, go with the courage of Christ, and give freely from the grace you have received. In our communities today
StF 736. In heavenly love abiding
In heavenly love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here:
The storm may roar without me,
My heart may low be laid;
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed?
Wherever he may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack:
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim,
He knows the way he taketh,
And I will walk with him.
Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
Where the dark clouds have been;
My hope I cannot measure,
My path to life is free;
My Saviour has my treasure,
And he will walk with me.
A sending out prayer:
So now we go out with confidence in you Our loving God who leads us; You know our weaknesses and our strengths. Lord call us, guide us, and strengthen us with your wisdom.
Amen.
